Personal Festool Road Map

[PreferrablyWood]

I started on building up a little setup for both creative woodworking cabinet making, kitchen installation, painting/prep work, photographic/theatrical set making here in Denmark.

My first Festool was the CT midi which is seeing hard use in a stairway paint preperation job, it's attached to a metabo SX E 400 and SXE 425 excentric sanders..Works great and it's so  great to experience a clean working enviroment while doing this kind of work.

This experience has awakened an earlier interest in creative woodworking. And as usual more will have more, so today I took delivery of my first Festool woodworking machine the Carvex PSC 420 Eb plus 15 Li. One battery version to save money. This will be used for break down of materials and small job cutting where noise is an issue and the jigsaw used carefully can fit the bill. Like cutting down shelves/countertops for ktichen installation. The Carvex is of course also very suited to use to work with some designs I have for lattice work screens/doors/room dividers, as well as for cutouts, and signs.

The Carvex version having just  one battery just won't do! So to keep things compatible and to make a nice pairing I've got my eye on the C15 drill with set.. Great for my envisioned usage and I will then have three interchangeble 15v batteries 1that came with the Carvex 3Ah and 2, 4.2Ah That come with the C15 so 3 batterys to work with my two cordeless machines. Accessories on the list would be the 2011 Centrotec set and the Carvex Acessory set..I've already ordered about 20 various wood cutting blades and the 20 splinterproofing insets..

I'm likely going to go for the 2200 Router with set at sometime in the future, working out a methodology to do most shaping planing and joining tasks. Can't it be used in place of the Domino for joining duties?  For laminate routing if I end up doing that kind of work I'll  just go with a smaller bosch or dewalt. For my usage I think the OF 500/700 would be overkill..

I like the look of the MFT 3 worktable but have also seen some good designs for selfmade work tables that at least for a start might be the way to go..

I hope to keep my setup to a minimum to force me to get knowledgeble and skilled with a limited tool set, and later upgrade with additional tools.. I already own consumer level circular saws planers hammer drills and quite a few decent handtools so I think my workshop on wheels should be a manageble economic investment. Even though these indivdual Festools tools are relatively expensive, used carefully and creatively I suspect I will be get an enourmous amount of quality work done with them..

Best Regards

PW

 

[MrToolJunkie]

That Is A Nice Collection AnD Will Allow You To DScotite A Few Projects.

Scot

 

[PreferrablyWood]

As I stated in my first post here I'm going to get a few tools together after being inspired by working with a couple of Metabo sanders connected to the Festool Ct Midi dust extrator. It was the midi's  convenient size and design that attracted me to get it even though it was considerably more expensive than the other brands dust extractors..

I received my PSBC 420 EB with a  single 15v 3 mAh battery, my first impression is that it's a very capable and relatively light machine. I've installed the splinter guard and am using it with the Gold blade included in the box. Not using it with the dust extractor as I'm working outdoors, cutting clean wood 22mm and ply 15mm, very clean cuts, light work and a really like the freedom of a cordless jigsaw. The dust blower in the machine isn't moving enough of the dust away which causes visibilty issues perhaps a side effect of the "fast cut" blade combined with the splinterguard. I'm not too worried about that issue though.. I've ordered 5 different types of wood cutting blades and should be recieving them tomorrow.. Festool all the way as far as blades are concerned...

1    1         486553         Stichsägeblatt                                    
2    1         486548         Stichsägeblatt                                    
3    4         490120         Splitterschutz                                    
4    1         486564         Stichsägeblatt                                    
5    1         486547         Stichsägeblatt    

As well as the 20 splinterguards...I'll experiment  with different materials and blades with and without the Dust extraction  and see if that solves the visiblity issues I'm having.
I'm making a heavyduty table/shelf (2 ton capacity) out of recycled pine and 15mm ply, things are going smoothly, the battery in the carvex holds up well even though it's only 15v, I'm pleased with my purchase especielly as I think it's an advantage that 15v battery is lighter than the 18v..

Next up is the C15 set with the 2x 15v 4.2 mAh batteries. My strategy here is partly that I'll have 3 15v batteries shared then between 2 tools which should  be a fine setup.
I'm really looking forward to gaining access to an eccentric chuck and the right angle chuck as well, very obvious advantages over the competition.  The C15's D handle just feels so much nicer and well balanced than the T shaped drills...Nice feature with the brushless motor as well.
Still it may seem at first glance that the drill is overpriced, but looking at the whole package the price is actually not unrealistic.. I use my tools carefully and keep em going for years... And seen in that light the pleasure of a quality tool with great egronomics will carry on, while the initial pain over the cost of acquisition will be long forgotten..

I'm going to get the 2011 Centrotec set very soon as well. Sure I have lot's of bits and stuff already but it's all old and much of it isn't geared for woodworking..I'm especielly attracted to the countersink/bit combo, the clean woodbits, the long shaft bit's seem like a nice idea for serious screw work in tight places, the hook screwing tool will be useful in the gardens, the longshaft bit holder brilliant. With the Centrotec set I know I'll be able to get setup easy fast when I can find what I need with a well organized set, and expect it will speed up my workflow for sure...

The Accessory set for the Carvex next after..I'm attracted to this set by the circle cutting tool, the various bases, the guide and rail adapter base for straight cuts, The angle base is a must have as well..

Next up A router or two a recent theft of my mediocre consumer bosch pushes this upwards on the list by say the spring, then the TS55 REBQ plus  with a an extra guide rail the shortest possible for crosscuts  and a work table perhaps MFT 3. I have also been looking at  cordless 18v Festool Hammer drill, too bad that tools  battery doesn't look to be compatible with the carvex...

All this used intelligently will give me a great capability, in the past I've done lots of okay work with pretty low grade equipment so now all Festooled up my workmanship and efficiency will reach a new level..

So my road map as described above should be realized within  one year...

I've enjoyed browsing around the FOG site. Finding a wealth of information, inspiring ideas/workflows/designs and notice and appreciate the friendly atmosphere.

Regards

PW

 

[PreferrablyWood]

Journey continues so what I think I want to get, or what I'd get tomorrow if my bank account or my credit could extend so far:

Festool Arbejdsbord MFT/3 495315 1 DKK 4.998,00
Festool Fræseskabelon MFS 400 1 DKK 1.775,00
Festool forlængerprofil MFS-VP 1000 1 DKK 1.500,00
Festool Fræseslæde MFS-FS 1 DKK 1.156,25
Festool fræserboks Box-OF HW S8 Mix 1 DKK 1.495,00
Festool Spændeelementer MFT-SP 488030 DKK 698,00
Festool Føringsskinne FS 1400/2-LR 32 496939 DKK 800,00
Festool Bordfræser CMS TF 1400-Set 570269 DKK 10.648,00
Festool akku bore-/skruemaskine
CXS Li 1,5 Set 564271 1         DKK 2.095,00
Festool dyksav
TS75EBQ-PLUS-FS og tilbehørssæt 497657 DKK 5.869,00

please excuse the dansih naming for the tools the grand total is around 30,000 danish kr..

 

[PreferrablyWood]

Okay my reasoning behind this shopping list.

Festool MFT/3 495315

I have made tonnes of stable and cheap work tables and made plenty of decent, but not perfect or highend projects with them. The MFT/3 though is on my list because I'm entering a fase in my life where I don't want to spend too much time futzing around with unproductive workflows.. The MFT/3 combined with it's clamping system, the mitre and the guide basically takes the layout phase to the workpiece, eliminating extra steps and increasing both finished piece quality, and the egronomics while doing the job..

Festool MFS 400
Festool MFS-VP 1000

Comibined with the guides and the MFT the MFS is really a highend measuring and layout tool, as well as a guide for routing. Non of which I presently own so I think I can justify the expense. MFS-VP 1000 widens the scope of the MFS 400 at a relatively low cost, I don't se investing in both MFS 400 and MFS 700 right from the start because of budget concerns..

Festool MFS-FS

I'm not as sure as to the scope of the functions the routing rail/track would have but planning/dimesioning cleaning up rough surfaces/paint, would be on the obvious first uses I could think of..

Festool router bitboks Box-OF HW S8 Mix

I can't see that it can hurt to have a selection of bits to start of with, I checked carefully through the list and can see that it is a great value, with bits that I can envision having uses for right away. Only additional bits would be a rounded groove bit, spiral groovebit, scribing bit(for signs) wide surface planing bit (12mm shank) deep edge planing bit (12mm shank)

Festool  MFT-SP 488030

clamping dogs for securing the work to the MFT. should be included in a set version of the worktable as well as four of the handsfree clamps, and coffee holder..

Festool FS 1400/2-LR 32 496939

I can just as well get the guide rail with the holes for routing shelf supports..

Festool Bordfræser CMS TF 1400-Set 570269

I see that you can get a set with the CMS base and the router insert plus the OF 1400 router which is a great value, so I'm seriously considering this, also because I will likely want to use my PSC 420 as a scroll saw for making templates for lattice work.. Also using the CMS with TS75 would expand my work capabilites without increasing the total size of my kit appreciably.

Festool CXS Li 1,5 Set 564271

After studying the various Festool offering of screw/drill drivers it seems the best plan is to get the lightest version for most cabinetry and shelf/lights mounting type jobs, and then use a beefier hammer/drill/driver for work with bigger bits.. Also I'd like something that could be mounted into a drillpress stand, so might just opt for a metabo corded version for this.. Only drawback is I'll have to go out an buy additional 15v or 18v batterries for my carvex, one is not enough, should have got the kit!

Festool TS75EBQ-PLUS-FS set 497657

I don't really see the point of buying both the TS55 and TS75, when used on a sturdy table with the rails both saws handle equally well, and I would prefer just one expensive item that has a wider usage range than having to worry about maxing out the TS55 the first time I need to use 3" material.. I also don't see needing a kapex when you have the MFT doing crosscuts on 2x3 or 3x3 should be a breeze. If I do a lot of crosscuting for framing jobs then I could pick up a lower end chop saw.

Added note after reading the Kapex thread from TinyNYworkshop, the crosscutting for less than fine edge quality for rough and ready projects I'll just do with the Carvex PSC 420, for fine cabinetry a Kapex would do the trick for sure but a less expensive model from metabo could also be fine when the budget is tight...

About the TS75 being tiring to use, if you setup your track right on the table, you don't need to lift the saw after making a cut just pull it back slide in the next piece and cut. I'd have a clamped spacer piece against the front of the MFT for this..

I'd get the set version for the added functionally of the stops and so on..actually I'm not all that clear about what comes in the track accessory box... hmmm time for more research..

Additional items

I'll have to upgrade my CT midi's hose with a 35mm one for the TS75 and Router duties, than again maybe it would make more sense to get a bigger CT dedicated to these tools..Keep the CT midi's for edge routing, sanding, and the jigsaw..

Sortainers x3 a 4 drawer 6 and 9 drawer plus a Systainer with attic for organization...

Centrotec bit set 2011, I'll pick up one of these lightly used at somepoint in the near future..

Regards

PW